


A Hawke Clad In Warden Blue

by kscho



Series: Danielle Cousland of Highever [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 09:57:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16808371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kscho/pseuds/kscho
Summary: Warden-Commander Dany Cousland encourages Carver to bury his hatchet of self-doubt after watching him spar with Velanna





	A Hawke Clad In Warden Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise cameo by Ser Pounce-a-Lot!

Hawke.

Dany figured Carver hated his surname. He flinched every time she said it, barked it, shouted it across the yard. She always wondered how the man managed to fall asleep every night, the way he carried on brooding all the time like he was Nathaniel’s long lost brother. She reckoned she would be able to hear his teeth grinding halfway to Amaranthine. She crossed her arms and sighed. She understood. She used to spend her days like that. Brooding in self pity and anger. The bitter swill of messed up emotions had been hard to let swallow, but she had done it. Worked past it. 

Quite literally worked past it, at that. Being Warden-Commander meant putting others before herself and making the hard decisions. The hardest decisions came from within. She knew that, after her hard years of experience.

Carver Hawke didn’t.

Dany smirked as Velanna danced circles around the man. She had put off pairing him with a mage for two weeks. Mostly because he looked like was about to punch a hole in the nearest wall whenever she had mentioned it previously. Carver yelled louder the more frustrated he got. Velanna smirked at him as she stared at him down her staff. That only seemed to fuel his rage higher.

Dany reached over and rang the sparring bell. Both of her Wardens froze on the spot and stood straight at attention, facing their commander. “That’s enough for today,” she said. “Warden Carver, I’d have a word with you in my office. Fifteen minutes.

“Someone’s in trouble,” Velanna teased in a singsong voice.

“Not the time nor the place, Warden,” Dany warned her friend, smirking nonetheless. Carver’s ears turned pink and he made quick work of striding off toward the keep. Dany followed him a moment later, turning off towards her office.

Inside, it was slightly colder than the hallways of the Vigil. Ser Pounce-A-Lot was lounging in her chair, curled into a tight ball of orange fur. She smiled at him for a moment before quickly starting a fire in the fireplace. Then she unbuckled her half-plate and set it on her armor stand. Ser Pounce stretched and yawned, taking his time to get up and hop to the floor, slinking between Dany’s legs. He looked up at her and meowed. She bent down for a moment to scratch his head. He continued to watch her intently as she put a bit of water on over the fire and sat down across the chaise.

There was a knock at the door just as the kettle started its song. “Come in!” she called as she set up the tea. “Ah! Carver, have a seat. Here, have…” She handed him a cup and circled round to her seat. “You’re not in trouble,” she assured him, “I promise.” She took a sip of her tea. “It’s your older brother, isn’t it? That chip on your shoulder there? That shadow you think you’re still stuck in. I hear he casts a pretty large one these days.”

Carver scowled and squared his jaw at her but said nothing.  _ Smart lad. _ “I used to think I was stuck in my brother’s shadow as well,” Dany continued. “Way back when I was...ooh...maybe fifteen or so? Carried on for a few years, grumbling after him and my father. Then I got it. Fergus was the heir to Highever, not me. And I thank the Maker every day that I’m not.” Dany chuckled into her tea. “Guess I still got fucked over in the end, given that I’m the acting arlessa of Amaranthine.” Carver sat back, looking shocked that his Warden-Commander had swore so sharply in front of him.

Dany sat forward, setting her tea aside. “You’re a smart man, Carver. You don’t have to be so unhappy here. If you want to, I can’t stop you, but…” She grinned. “Come up to the balcony later. We have a weekly game of Wicked Grace up there, a few of us. Don’t even bother with a uniform, just come to drink, gamble, and laugh your ass off.”

Several long seconds passed before the ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips. Dany had a fleeting thought that it looked good on him, and the lightest blushes graced her ears and cheeks. “I don’t exactly have gambling money on me, Commander,” he said.

She sat back again and resisted the urge to look him up and down. “Suppose you’ll have to bet the threads you’re wearing, recruit. Hope your poker face is as good as your swordsmanship.”


End file.
